Dear friends and neighbors,
After a historic 105 days, we did it! As of 10:03 p.m. yesterday, the 2023 Legislative Session is a wrap!
After legislating in a virtual environment for the past two years, I was thankful to be back in Olympia this year working side-by-side with my colleagues. These last months, my fellow members and I passed some groundbreaking legislation and I’m especially proud of the work we did in terms of reproductive freedom, housing and gun reform (scroll down to read more).
Previous newsletters have addressed housing issues, but I want to give a special shout out to Rep. Jamila Taylor (D-Federal Way) for sponsoring HB 1474, which addresses the direct harms causes by racially restrictive real estate covenants. This important piece of housing legislation passed both chambers. Click here to learn more. Then, I’d also like to recognize Sen. Noel Frame’s (D-Seattle) SB 5198 (the companion bill in the House was a bill I sponsored, HB 1129) work to give the residents of manufactured home communities more rights when their landlords want to sell the property the community sits on. It requires two years’ notice of sale, with some reasonable exceptions, as well as the opportunity for the community to purchase the land.
I am humbled and honored to be your representative, and I know that I could not have done any of this important work without your help. All the emails and phone calls from you that came into our office were focused on the needs of our district, for which I thank you!
An Update on My Bills Becoming Law
- HB 1337: This is a bipartisan bill on accessory dwelling units (ADUs) that I worked on with my Republican colleague, Rep. Andrew Barkis (R-Chehalis). We’ve been teaming up together since 2019 to get an ADU bill across the finish line, and this year we did it! Washington has a housing affordability and security crisis affecting every city and county. Regardless of where you live in our state, people are experiencing a housing shortage, sky-rocketing rents, and unstable living conditions. Rep. Barkis and I believe that ADUs are part of the solution. Click here to learn more.
- HB 1784: There are several of us in the Legislature that are referred to as “food fighters” and I’m one of them. What we do is ensure that our most vulnerable have enough to eat. Did you know that for many Washingtonians, they are more worried about food insecurity than they are about rent increases? This isn’t right—and it’s why I introduced HB 1784 to combat hunger. It provides an additional and immediate $28 million in food assistance. Click here to learn more. You can also watch a recent episode on Seattle Channel’s Inside/Out program about what the state is doing to fight food insecurity and alleviate poverty. Click here or on the image above to watch it.
Gun Reform is Coming to Our State
Tragically, the U.S. has already witnessed 163 mass shootings so far this year! Here in Washington, my colleagues in both chambers worked hard to take bold action on gun safety to stop these tragedies. Here’s a look at what passed during this year’s session and what will soon become law:
HB 1143: Establishes the following requirements for all firearm purchases in Washington: a background check, 10-day waiting period, and a completed safety training within the last five years. In 2018, voters approved I-1639. This bill will extend similar measures to all firearm purchases. I am grateful to my colleague, Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle), for introducing and passing this legislation.
HB 1240: My colleague Rep. Strom Peterson (D-Edmonds) has sponsored this legislation for the last seven years, and it will limit the prospective sale of assault weapons in Washington state. This is the same prohibition structure as last year’s bill restricting high-capacity magazines, which the legislature passed into law. The legislation defines assault weapons using both a list of specific firearms and a list of attributes like definitions in other states, and prohibits the manufacture, importation, distribution, sale, or offer for sale of any assault weapon.
SB 5078: requires firearm industry members to establish and implement reasonable controls for the manufacture, sale, and marketing of their products. By working with the firearm industry, we can curb the gun violence epidemic and place some responsibility on manufacturers and retailers. Broad immunity from essentially all legal challenges has been a historically unfair protection when compared to other industries. Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle) sponsored this bill.
Video Update
In this episode of “Visiting with Mia,” I speak with my colleague, Rep. Strom Peterson on important gun safety legislation passed this session, including his HB 1240, and another measure, HB 1143. Click here or on the image above to tune in!
What’s Next in the Interim?
Please be on the lookout for a “Budgets Edition Report to the 33rd District” coming soon to your inbox.
Additionally, my seatmates Sen. Karen Keiser, Rep. Tina Orwall, and I will be having a telephone town hall from 6-7 p.m. on Thursday, May 4. Check out the details in the graphic above and mark your calendar to join us!
During the interim, I plan on working on project development to advance legislation that stalled this session. I won’t be sending out regular newsletters in the interim, but you may receive one occasionally. To stay up-to-date on the issues I am working on, visit my legislative website or follow my legislative Facebook page.
Please, do not hesitate to email me with your questions or concerns.
Best wishes,
